Lumber sorting machine



H. C. COOK LUMBER SORTING MACHINE Jan. 6, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 12, 1958 Hana/Q0 C 000K BY M ATTORNEYS Jan. 6, 1959 H. c. cooK 1LUMBER SORTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1958 INVENTORHAROLD C Cook vqimuzmwiae ATTORNEYS Jan. 6, 1959 H. c; cooK LUMBERSORTING MACHINE 7 Filed Feb. 12, 1958' 3 Shee ts-Sheet 5 INVENTORATTORNEYS LUMIBER SDRTENG MACHINE Harold C. Cook, Clinton, N. (1.,assignor to Cook Machine Company, Clinton, N. C, a partnership composedof Harold C. Cook and Leroy V. Cook Application February 12, 1958,Serial No. 714,859

Claims. (Cl. 209-90) The present invention relates to lumber sortingmachines, and particularly to lumber sorting machines which separatelumber according to length and width.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a lumber sortingmachine which will rapidly and effectively sort lumber both as to widthand as to length in a continuous operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lumber sorting machineof the class described above in which the frictional drag on the lumberis relatively low to permit the operation of the machine with a minimumof power.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lumber sorting machineof the class described above having an automatic ejector to remove thelumber from the machine at the desired station.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lumber sorting machineof the class described above in which the conventional outer fence orguide is eliminated so that crooked and warped lumber can move throughthe device without jamming or breaking the mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lumber sortingmachine of the class described above which is inexpensiveto manufacture,simple to use, and which is completely effective in separating thelumber into the desired widths and lengths.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the invention with partsbroken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse crosssection taken alongthe line 44 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse crosssection taken alongthe line 55 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse crosssection taken alongthe line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation shown partiallybroken away and in section for convenience of illustration.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-section taken along the line8-8 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference numeral 10 indicates generally a lumber sorting machineconstructed in accordance with the invention.

2,867,323 Patented Jan. 6, 1959 The lumber sorting machine 10 consistsof a plurality of longitudinally extending aligned sections A, B, C, D,E, and F, as shown in Figure 3. Each of the sections B, C, D, E, and F,consist of a plurality of stations, as illustrated in Figure 1, at F1,F2, F3, and F4.

The sections A, B, C, D, E, and F are arranged in aligned relation, andin the sorting of lumber, the boards are fed into section A, passingsuccessively through the sections B, C, D, E, and F until ejected.

In the instant lumber sorting machine 10, the section A sorts boards oftwelve inch width, section B ten inch width, section C eight inch width,section D six inch width, section E five inch width, and section F fourinch width. Sections B, C, D, E, and F are each provided with fiveejection stations for sorting boards into eight feet, ten feet, twelvefeet, fourteen feet, and sixteen feet 1engths.'

While the lumber sorting machine 10 has been disclosed with a specificnumber of sections each having a specific number of stations, itshould'be understood that the number of stations and number of sectionswill be varied to sort boards into any desired selection of widths andlengths.

The sections A, B, C, D, E, and F each include a pair of laterallyspaced horizontal longitudinally extending channel frame members 11, 12supported on a plurality of laterally diverging legs 13. A plurality oftransversely extending cross frame members 14 engage the tops of thechannel frame members 11, 12 and are secured thereto by welding or thelike.

Each of the transverse frame members 14 is provided with an upstandinginverted U-shaped angle iron frame 15 which includes an upper horizontalframe member 18 arranged parallel to the frame member 14' and a pair ofdiverging legs 16, 17 having their upper ends, respectively, secured toopposite ends of the horizontal frame member 18, and the lower endssecured to the transverse frame members 14 intermediate the oppositeends thereof.

A plurality of transversely extending shafts 19 are arranged inlongitudinally spaced parallel relation along the longitudinal framemembers 11, 12 and have their opposite ends journalled in bearing blocks20 secured to the upper side of the channel frame members 11, 12.

Each of the transverse shafts 19 are provided with a pair of driverollers 21 positioned in spaced apart relation thereon adjacent thebearing blocks 20. The rollers 21 are each tapered and have theirlargest diameters outermost on the shafts 19 and their smaller diametersinnermost. The rollers 21 adjacent the channel frame members 11 arearranged with their upper surfaces in horizontally and longitudinallyaligned relation. The rollers 21 positioned adjacent the longitudinalframe member 12 are similarly aligned.

The shafts 19 intermediate the rollers 21 are provided with a pair ofspaced apart sprockets 22, 23 and a plurality of endless chains 24connect alternate adjacent pairs of sprockets 22 and alternate adjacentpairs of sprockets 23, as best shown in Figure 2.

A drive chain 25 is connected to one of the shafts 19 and dependstherefrom to engage a speed reducing transmission 26. A motor 27 iscoupled to the speed reducing transmission 26 to drive the chain 25, andthrough the chains 24, all of the shafts 19. The chain 25 can beconnected to any one of the shafts 19 to position the motor 27 in adesired location.

A fence 28a is formed of an elongated generally flat plate which issecured to opposite sides of the U-shaped frame member 15, as is bestshown in Figure 5. The

' fence 28a extends through the section A, as illustrated in Figure 3. Afence 28b, somewhat shorter than the fence 28a, is similarly formed of afiat plate and is similarly supported on opposite sides of the U-shapedframework 15. The fence 28b extends through the section B. Sections C,D, E, and F are provided with fences 28c, 28d, 28a, and 28 supported inthe same manner as the fences 28a and 28b and. having a successivelynarrower width, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

A depending support plate 29 is secured to the inner face of each of thefence plates 28b, 28c, 28d, 28a, and 28 at the admission end of each ofthe ejection stationssuch as F1, F2, F3, and F4 of Figure 1. In Figures1, 2, 3, 7., and 8, the lumber moves from left to right in the operationof the machine.

Ashaft 30 is journalled in each of the support plates 29Tand extendsperpendicularly. to the support plate 29. A lever 31 is fixed to theshaft 30 and depends therefrom on the inner side of the support plate29' and a trigger lever 32 is fixed to the shaft'30 on the opposite sideof the support plate 29 and extendsv upwardly at an angle toward thedischarge end of'the machine. The trigger lever 32 extends above the topplane of the rollers 21 so that lumber moving on the rollers 21 willengage the trigger lever 32 and move it to the dotted line positionillustrated in Figure 7.

A second. support plate 33 is fixed to the fence plates 28b, 28c, 28d,28e, and 28 in spaced paired relation.

to the support plates 29. A shaft 34 is journalled in the support plate33 and extends perpendicularly thereto. A lever 35 is fixed to the shaft34 and depends therefrom on the innerside of the support plate 33. Atrigger lever 36 is fixed to the shaft 34 outwardly of the support plate33 and extends upwardly therefrom at an angle inclined toward thedischarge end of the machine.

A rod 37 is pivotally connected through a clevis 38 to the lower end ofthe lever 31 and pivotally connected to the lever 35 by a clevis 39,'asbest seen in Figure 7. The rod 37 maintains the levers 31, 35 and thetrigger levers 32, 36 in respective parallel relation to each other.

An arm 40 is fixed to the inner end of the shaft 34 and'extends in agenerally horizontal plane toward the admission end of the machine. Thearm 40 has a circular cam member 41 fixed to the free end thereof.

A support platform 42 is secured to each of the fence plates 28b, 28c,28d, 28c, and 28], in generally overlying relation to the support plate33.

Each of the support platforms 42 have elongated generally uprighttubular bushing members 43 depending therefrom'and arranged parallel tothe fence plates. A notch 44 is formed in the upper edge of each of thefence plates 28b, 28c, 28d, 28a, and 28f, as can be best seen in Figures3 and 7.

A circular ejection plate 45 is positioned centrally of each of thetubular bushings 43 and has an axial depending shaft 46 journalled inthe tubular bushing 43. The shaft 46 is arranged for engagement with thecircular cam member 41 and reciprocates in the tubular bushing 43 as thecircular cam 41 swings about the shaft 34. Movement of the shaft 46raises the ejection plate 45 to the position illustrated in dotted linesin Figure 7. The ejection plate 45 in its lowermost position engages inthe slot 44 and extends into the path of the lumber moving through themachine. g

In section A of the machine an ejection plate 45a is journalled in abushing 43a and extends through a'notch 44a in the; fence plate 28a toprovide a fixed ejection station for purposes to be described.

The length of the shafts 46 depending from the ejection plates 45 willvary in accordance to the height of the ejection plate 45 above therollers 21.

The distance between the trigger'lever 32 andthe ejection plate 45 ineach ejection station of the individual sections is' progressivelylengthened so as to eject progressively longer boards.

In the use and operation of the invention the opposite sides of themachine are used, respectively, for sorting one inch boards and two inchboards. In the following description the operation of one side of themachine is described in detail and it should be understood that theoperation of the opposite side is identical thereto.

Lumber to be sorted is placed on the rollers 21 in contact with thefence plate 28a and is moved to the right as viewed in Figures 1, 2, 3,7, and 8. The ejection plate a is positioned slightly below the twelveinch level and all boards of a width of twelve inches or greater willcontact the ejection plate 45a and will have their upper edges cammedoutwardly thereby so that the boards will fall from the rollers 21 andare guided by the legs 13 into a pile.

Boards of a narrower width than twelve inches will pass beneath theejection plate 45a and into section B of the machine. In section B theboard will contact the trigger lever 32 moving it downwardly along withthe trigger lever 36 raising the ejection plate 45 coupled thereto.

The board continues on the rollers 21 and if its length be greater thanthe distance between the trigger lever 32 and the ejection plate 45, theboard passes under the ejection plate 45 into the next ejection station.If the board is shorter than the distance between the trigger lever 32and the ejection plate 45 it will release the trigger lever 32 loweringthe ejection plate 45 in time to eject the board from the rollers 21.

For any one width of board, the shorter length is ejected first and eachsuccessive ejection station has the trigger lever 32 and the ejectionplate 45 spaced further apart to eject successively longer boards. Theboards pass through sections C, D, E, and F and successively narrowerwidths of boards are ejected into the desired length assortments.

The trigger lever 36 is engaged by a board which has passed beneath theejection plate 45 and maintains the ejection plate 45 in raisedcondition out of contact with the top edge of the board while the boardpasses therebeneath.

With the present invention, boards can be fed into the machine with aminimum of spacing between boards and the machine can be operated at amaximum capacity without endangering the accuracy of the sortingoperation.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without'departing from the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A lumber sorting machine comprising an elongated horizontal frame, aplurality of horizontally aligned rollers journalled to'said frame, afence plate secured to said frame above said rollers, said rollershaving a tapered peripheral face with said fence plate extendingperpendicularly from the upper portion of said tapered peripheral face,means to rotate said rollers simultaneous- .ly whereby said rollers movea board to be sorted through said machine in engagement with said fenceplate, an ejector plate positioned in overlying relation to the upperedge of said fence plate, means extending generally;-upright parallel tosaid fence plate journalling said ejector .plate and supporting saidejector plate for vertical sliding machine includes a trigger leverjournalled on a horizontal axis and a second lever spacedlongitudinallytherefrom, said second lever being connected to said first lever by linkmeans, and carrying cam means thereon for moving said ejector platevertically.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second lever is providedwith a board engaging trigger lever for maintaining said ejector platein elevated position as a board passes therebeneath.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rollers are mounted ontransversely extending shafts joumalled to said frame with each of saidshafts having a pair of sprockets fixed thereto, and an endless chainconnecting adjacent sprockets of adjacent shafts in pairs.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fence plates are arrangedin groups of successively narrower Widths and said ejector plates aresuccessively closer to said rollers in each group.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ComlyMay 21, 1901 Tanner Mar. 27, 1917 Denton Jan. 1, 1935 Moseley Feb. 7,1956 Parton Sept. 11, 1956 McCollet et al. July 23, 1957

